Research among 160 tribal women in North Gujarat finds differences in dairy practices and social empowerment. It also points to the costs and service gaps that continue to affect women’s livelihoods. A woman may feed the cattle, clean the shed, collect fodder and milk the animals. Yet her work is only one part of what…
India’s dry states, Bihar and Gujarat, continue to report alcohol consumption despite prohibition laws. NFHS data and research on Bihar’s alcohol ban highlight changing drinking patterns, enforcement challenges, underreporting and the policy’s potential impact on domestic violence and harmful drinking. What does a ban on alcohol achieve if people continue to drink? Fair question! Bihar’s…
India wants to expand its digital infrastructure. A new NITI Aayog framework asks states to check whether local resources can support that growth—and what the public will receive. Every investment proposal comes with promises. A data centre may bring capital, jobs and support for digital services. But the government considering it must also answer some basic…
The World Bank’s October update records a sharp fall in poverty. Sustaining that progress will require better earnings, reliable public services and protection against financial shocks. A household crosses the poverty line. Does that mean it can now manage a hospital bill, a failed crop or a month without work? That is the question worth…
India’s CSR impact assessment rules require eligible companies to independently assess qualifying CSR projects, but disclosure practices remain inconsistent. A KPMG India review of Nifty 250 companies highlights gaps in assessment methodology, sample-size reporting and public access to detailed studies. Standardised reporting of baselines, comparison groups and outcomes could improve transparency and comparability in CSR…
The master plan now links 58 ministries and all 36 States and UTs on one digital platform. Its next test is whether planning data translates into fairer access for small traders, remote communities and the people whose land projects need. Five years after its launch on 13 October 2021, the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan…
CSR funding for education is shifting towards outcomes-based financing, as demonstrated by Haryana’s Early Literacy Development Impact Bond, which linked payments to measurable learning outcomes for children. The initiative highlights how CSR in education can prioritise foundational literacy, accountability, and long-term learning impact over activity-based spending. The reading gaps ASER 2024 is the latest national…
India now runs 40 supercomputers under a national mission. Measured against China, the United States and Europe, the harder test is not speed but who gets access. As of September 2026, India had more than doubled the cumulative supercomputing capacity it had established through the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), according to the Press Information Bureau…
India’s UPI ecosystem is set to introduce a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate on select merchant transactions above ₹2,000 from October 15, 2026. The change raises questions about merchant costs, consumer prices, digital payments and financial inclusion.
India has the world’s largest youth population, with nearly two-thirds of us under 35. We repeat that statistic often, and we usually stop there. The other half of it is that India is ageing faster than at any point in its history. Indians above sixty numbered 14.9 crore in 2022 and will reach ≈ 35…
